This project began as an idea, sketched on a piece of paper long before there was a client or a site. It was an idea for a house arranged across different levels on a sloping site.
Months later, it found its place.
The site overlooks the grounds of the Folques Monastery in Coimbra, Portugal. It slopes gently and is surrounded by large trees. I inherited it from my grandfather, and for years it remained forgotten, overgrown, and vulnerable to wildfires. I returned a few months ago under the pretext of clearing it before the summer fire season, which grows increasingly fierce and unpredictable each year.
The expansive views across the Monastery valley came as a surprise, but the smell was familiar.
The sketch is now a model. Perhaps, in a few years, it may become a house.
I like to make physical models early on, before the pen settles. Not necessarily to be rigorous, but to stay curious. "The model as a drawing instrument", to quote Paulo Mendes da Rocha. I have worked with Richard Youel for many years now. During that time, we have made many models together: some large, involving sizeable teams and using different techniques and finishes; others small, made between the two of us using the same material and pigment. The result is always revealing. It is as if the project finally introduces itself.
This model started with a conversation about a rough sketch for a house. I was drawn to the idea and wanted to explore it, not in detail, but conceptually. We decided to develop the design through model-making.
We kept the model deliberately simple, using paint and polystyrene to focus on form, scale and depth, with the aim of expressing a clear idea rather than a finished proposal. We stayed close to the original sketch to avoid over-designing or introducing unnecessary detail. As the idea develops, the model will inevitably become more defined. We are thinking of using timber and jesmonite next.
